Live wallpaper

1. A computer-implemented method comprising: generating, by a first process executing on a computing device, a graphical wallpaper representation on a first visual layer at a display of the computing device, wherein the first visual layer is a bottom-most visual layer output at the display of the computing device; generating, by a second process executing on the computing device, a representation of an icon on a second visual layer at the display of the computing device, wherein the second visual layer is positioned visually on top of the first visual layer, wherein the computing device is configured to launch an application program associated with the icon or bring focus to the application program when the icon is selected by user input in a particular manner; receiving, by the second process, an indication of user input to move the icon in a path across the display of the computing device; providing, by the second process and to the first process, information that identifies locations of the path between a starting point of the path and an ending point of the path; and animating, by the first process and in response to receiving the information that identifies the locations of the path, portions of the graphical wallpaper representation along the locations of the path over which the icon was moved in order to coordinate movement of the portions of the graphical wallpaper representation with movement of the icon, wherein receiving, by the second process, the indication of the user input to move the icon includes receiving, by the second process, the information that identifies the locations of the path between the starting point of the path and the ending point of the path before the second process provides the information to the first process.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the graphical wallpaper representation comprises displaying a visual image that covers substantially an entirety of the display of the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the animating comprises simulating frictional dragging of an element of the graphical wallpaper representation to coordinate with the movement of the icon that is positioned visually on top of the graphical wallpaper.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the animating comprises bending one or more graphical elements in a direction of the movement of the icon.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the animating comprises one or more perturbations in a surface of the graphical wallpaper representation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more perturbations comprise motion that radiates out, on the graphical wallpaper representation, from the locations of the path.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the icon is at least partially transparent so as to permit part of the graphical wallpaper representation to show through on the display within an area defined by an outer perimeter of the icon.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the animating comprises providing a live image being captured in real-time by a digital camera in the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the animating comprises providing an image representing real-time data downloaded from a remote web server over a wireless connection to the computing device.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the image representing real-time data downloaded from the remote web server comprises information from a social networking site.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the image representing real-time data downloaded from the remote web server comprises a map.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the image representing real-time data downloaded from the remote web server comprises weather information.

13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a user selection of the icon and opening a graphical object in a third layer that is visually in front of the second layer and that executes in a third process that differs from the first process and the second process.

14. A computer-implemented method comprising: generating, by a first process executing on a computing device, a graphical wallpaper representation on a first visual layer at a display of the computing device, wherein the first visual layer is a bottom-most visual layer output at the display of the computing device; generating, by a second process executing on the computing device, a representation of an icon on a second visual layer at the display of the computing device, wherein the second visual layer is positioned visually on top of the first visual layer, wherein the computing device is configured to launch an application program associated with the icon or bring focus to the application program when the icon is selected by user input in a particular manner; receiving, by the second process, an indication of user input to move the icon in a path; providing, by the second process and to the first process, information that identifies locations of the path between a starting point of the path and an ending point of the path; and animating, by the first process and in response to receiving the information that identifies the locations of the path, portions of the graphical wallpaper representation along the locations of the path over which the icon was moved in order to coordinate movement of the portions of the graphical wallpaper representation with movement of the icon, so as to simulate frictional dragging of elements of the graphical wallpaper representation along the locations of the path as a result of the user input to move the icon, wherein receiving, by the second process, the indication of the user input to move the icon includes receiving, by the second process, the information that identifies the locations of the path between the starting point of the path and the ending point of the path before the second process provides the information to the first process.

15. An article comprising a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium, having recorded and stored thereon instructions, that when executed, perform actions that comprise: generating, by a first process executing on a computing device, a graphical wallpaper representation on a first visual layer at a display of the computing device, wherein the first visual layer is a bottom-most visual layer output at the display of the computing device; generating, by a second process executing on the computing device, a representation of an icon on a second visual layer at the display of the computing device, wherein the second visual layer is positioned visually on top of the first visual layer, wherein the computing device is configured to launch an application program associated with the icon or bring focus to the application program when the icon is selected by user input in a particular manner; receiving, by the second process, an indication of user input to move the icon in a path across the display of the computing device; providing, by the second process and to the first process, information that identifies locations of the path between a starting point of the path and an ending point of the path; and animating, by the first process and in response to receiving the information that identifies the locations of the path, portions of the graphical wallpaper representation along the locations of the path over which the icon was moved in order to coordinate movement of the portions of the graphical wallpaper representation with movement of the icon, wherein receiving, by the second process, the indication of the user input to move the icon includes receiving, by the second process, the information that identifies the locations of the path between the starting point of the path and the ending point of the path before the second process provides the information to the first process.

16. The article of claim 15 , wherein generating the graphical wallpaper representation comprises displaying a visual image that covers substantially an entirety of the display of the computing device.

17. The article of claim 15 , wherein the animating comprises simulating frictional dragging of an element of the graphical wallpaper representation to coordinate with the movement of the icon that is positioned visually on top of the graphical wallpaper.

18. The article of claim 17 , wherein the animating comprises bending one or more graphical elements in a direction of the movement of the icon.

19. The article of claim 17 , wherein the animating comprises one or more perturbations in a surface of the graphical wallpaper representation.

20. The article of claim 19 , wherein the one or more perturbations comprise motion that radiates out, on the graphical wallpaper representation, from the locations of the path.

21. The article of claim 15 , wherein the icon is at least partially transparent so as to permit part of the graphical wallpaper representation to show through on the display within an area defined by an outer perimeter of the icon.

22. The article of claim 15 , wherein the animating comprises providing a live image being captured in real-time by a digital camera in the computing device.

23. The article of claim 15 , wherein the animating comprises providing an image representing real-time data downloaded from a remote web server over a wireless connection to the computing device.

24. The article of claim 23 , wherein the image representing real-time data downloaded from the remote web server comprises information from a social networking site.

25. The article of claim 23 , wherein the image representing real-time data downloaded from the remote web server comprises a map.

26. The article of claim 23 , wherein the image representing real-time data downloaded from the remote web server comprises weather information.

27. The article of claim 15 , wherein the actions further comprise receiving a user selection of the icon and opening a graphical object in a third layer that is visually in front of the second layer and that executes in a third process that differs from the first process and the second process.

28. A computer-implemented system, comprising: a display device; a first object for generating, by a first execution process, a graphical representation of a background wallpaper for a home screen of a computing device, the first object including executable content that when executed, animates, in response to the first object receiving information that identifies locations of a path between a starting point of the path and an ending point of the path through which an icon was moved by user input, portions of the graphical wallpaper representation to coordinate movement of the portions of the graphical wallpaper representation with the movement of the icon along the path, the icon being positioned visually on top of the background wallpaper; one or more user selectable second objects, wherein the icon is one of the one or more user selectable second objects; and a display controller programmed to: generate, by the first execution process, on a first visual layer at the display device, a graphical display of the first object, wherein the first visual layer is a bottom-most visual layer output at the display device, generate, by a second execution process that is distinct from the first execution process, on a second visual layer at the display device, a graphical display of the icon, wherein the second visual layer is positioned visually in front of the first visual layer at the display device, and provide, by the second execution process and to the first execution process, the information that identifies locations of the path between the starting point of the path and the ending point of the path, wherein the second execution process receives the information that identifies the locations of the path between the starting point of the path and the ending point of the path before the second execution process provides the information to the first execution process.

29. A computer-implemented method comprising: generating, in a first environment on a computing device, a graphical wallpaper representation on a first visual layer at a display of the computing device, wherein the first visual layer is a bottom-most visual layer output at the display of the computing device; generating, in a second environment on the computing device, a representation of an icon on a second visual layer at the display of the computing device, wherein the second visual layer is positioned visually on top of the first visual layer; receiving, by the second environment, an indication of user input to move the icon in a path across the display of the computing device; providing, by the second environment and to the first environment, information that identifies locations of the path between a starting point of the path and an ending point of the path; and animating, by the first environment and in response to receiving the information that identifies the locations of the path, portions of the graphical wallpaper representation along the locations of the path over which the icon was moved in order to coordinate movement of the portions of the graphical wallpaper representation with movement of the icon, wherein receiving, by the second environment, the indication of the user input to move the icon includes receiving, by the second environment, the information that identifies the locations of the path between the starting point of the path and the ending point of the path before the second environment provides the information to the first environment.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein a virtual machine isolates a code segment associated with an object of the wallpaper in the first environment and code segments associated with the icon in the second environment.

31. The method of claim 29 , wherein a code segment executing in the first environment is sandboxed from code segments executing in the second environment.

32. The method of claim 29 , wherein the animating comprises providing an image representing real-time data downloaded from a remote web server over a wireless connection to the computing device, wherein the image representing real-time data downloaded from the remote web server comprises information associated with a social networking site.

33. The method of claim 29 , wherein the animating comprises providing an image representing real-time data downloaded from a remote web server over a wireless connection to the computing device, wherein the image representing real-time data downloaded from the remote web server comprises traffic information.